The Thiruvananthapuram Additional District and Sessions Court VI on Thursday sentenced a Tamil Nadu native to rigorous imprisonment for life for the murder of his wife.
Judge Vishnu K. delivered the verdict against Mariyappan of Thoothukudi who was found guilty for the murder of his wife, Thoothukudi native Kaniyammal, under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code. He will also have to pay a fine of ₹50,000, the default of which will lead to an additional six months of rigorous imprisonment.
According to the prosecution led by public prosecutor M. Salahudeen, the incident took place in their rented house at Mukkolakkal near Sreevaraham, under the Fort Police limits, on September 23, 2018.
Mariyappan murdered his wife after they returned from a theatre in the city. He had apparently picked a quarrel with his wife for smiling at a few acquaintances at the theatre. Later, he dragged the victim to the bedroom and bludgeoned her using a hammer. He went on to stab his unconscious wife using a machete before before fleeing to Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.
The victim was found lying in a pool of blood by the couple’s son Manikantan, who used to work as a pizza delivery agent, after he returned home from work. Both Manikantan and his brother Ganesh testified against their father during the trial.
The trial was completed within 24 days. The case had been investigated by the then Fort Circle Inspector Ajichandran. The prosecution relied on scientific and circumstantial evidence in the absence of eyewitnesses. Twenty seven witnesses were cross-examined during the trial. As many as 41 documents and 25 material objects were presented as evidence.
